Cases of the winter vomiting bug are continuing to soar – causing ‘mayhem’ on the NHS, official statistics reveal.
Government figures show 1,887 people have been struck down with norovirus since July, compared to 1,649 last week – a 14 per cent jump.
Concerns have been raised that the ‘nightmare situation’ will only escalate further – with the winter pressures having only just begun.
It comes at time when the health service is already bracing itself for the dreaded ‘Aussie flu’, expected to be the ‘worst outbreak in 50 years’.
They are expecting an aggressive strain of the virus to begin circulating within the next few weeks which mostly affects the elderly and young children.
Government figures show 1,887 people have been struck down with norovirus since July, compared to 1,649 last week – a 14 per cent jump
The same strain wreaked havoc in Australia and led to one of the worst-ever flu seasons, with a record number of hospital admissions.
Richard Conroy, founder of Sick Holiday, warned norovirus could cause a ‘double-whammy’ on the NHS that could ‘decimate an already stretched workforce’.
He said: ‘Not only are staff having to deal with norovirus cases, but doctors and nurses will be coming down with the virus themselves.
‘It’s a nightmare situation for all concerned.
‘Yes, the NHS will have put measures in place to prepare for situations like this, but I’d argue that any norovirus outbreak will still cause mayhem.
‘It won’t just affect frontline staff, planned surgeries could also be affected, as members of those teams drop like flies, too.’
Ambulance delay problems
And separate data shows the health service is beginning to fall victim to the seasonal strain, with ambulance delays rising by 20 per cent in a week.
NHS England data revealed 14,300 people were forced to wait more than 30 minutes to be taken to hospital this week, compared to 11,900 the seven days prior.
This year’s norovirus outbreak is believed to be adding to the huge pressure on the NHS, with experts worried hospitals are ‘imploding’ under the strain.
Pressure on the NHS
The spike in cases has been blamed as a factor for some hospitals having 99 per cent bed occupancies – far above the recommended 85 per cent.
And campaigners fear it will be a disastrous winter amid soaring waiting lists in A&E – which this year hit their worst levels since records began 15 years ago.
Concerned doctors warned patients will have to ‘sleep, take paracetamol and pray’ ahead of the impending winter crisis.
Dr Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, warned last week that all hospitals can see is ‘pressure, pressure and more pressure’.
He described the health service as being on a ‘knife-edge’ and warned some planned operations are already being cancelled.
The latest Public Health England figures come as the number of patients in hospital suffering from norovirus soared by 70 per cent in a week.
NHS data released last week revealed there were 1,336 patients in hospital – up from the 790 recorded in the previous seven days.
What is norovirus?
Norovirus is one of the most common stomach infections in the UK and it is referred to winter vomiting bug as it usually occurs at this time of year.
Usually it clears up by itself within 24 to 48 hours but it can very serious for already frail patients, and can lead to dehydration.
The virus, which can also cause diarrhoea, is extremely contagious and can create huge disruption in hospitals as it spreads so quickly between patients.
But the winter vomiting bug has a tendency to mutate and some strains are worse than others, leading to higher numbers of infections.
The latest figures, released by Public Health England, have been increasing at a similar rate week-on-week since October.
Although norovirus is a huge burden on the health service, cases are down nine per cent on the average for the past five years.
Plugged with extra money
Before the winter struck hospitals were given an extra £335 million as part of the Budget to help manage winter pressures.
They will be expected to use their share of the money by paying for extra staff in A&E, including GPs who can assess patients on arrival.
The worries follow last year’s winter crisis, which saw health secretary Jeremy Hunt beg people to stay away from turmoil-hit hospitals.
The Red Cross branded the situation a ‘humanitarian crisis’ – a term used to describe the devastating civil war in Syria and Yemen.